Nicola Smyllie

"To be a scientist, you need the skills to design and organise experiments. You also need to be prepared for experiments not working and so patience is key. You will likely also be working within a team of scientists so being considerate and cooperative will make everyone more efficient with conducting their experiments and making the most of people's skill-sets. The attention to detail aspects of Quality Controller, Influencer, makes my personality a good fit for this type of work. "

"I am a medical research scientist that specialises in neuroscience and I study the 24-hour body clock. I carry out experiments to better understand the molecular mechanisms behind the clock. My work can be described as basic biology in that it is quite far removed from medicine, but it is the hope that by understanding the basic ideas behind how the clock works, we can influence medical treatments in the future. I enjoy doing interesting experiments using microscopy. I also get to travel abroad for conferences. I am at the post-doctoral level in my career. There is the possibility of progressing up to lead a research group, although this is highly competitive. There is also the possibility of being a senior researcher, without leading a group, but gaining some level of independence. Lastly, there is the option of switching from academia to industry. There are pros and cons for this move and this would be very different from my current role where my work is curiosity/medically driven rather than financially driven."

"As a child, I tended to be given things like dolls and girly things, purely because I was a girl, but in fact I was more interested in the Lego and building sets that my brother used to get, but wasn't the slightest bit interested in. Gender bias is still a big problem in shaping what kind of adults children become when they grow up. There are no jobs just for girls, or just for boys and no subjects at school that are more suitable for boys or for girls. I think it's important for girls to be aware of this. If an adult tells them, that's not for girls, ignore them! My science teachers at school were great! They really encouraged curiosity and asking questions about how the world worked."

"I am a musician in a gypsy jazz band and play gigs locally. I also like stay active and so go to the gym, running and cycling. I am a bit geeky and like playing board games with friends!"

"A typical day may include planning experiments, setting up experiments in the lab (making brain slices, microscopy, molecular biology), computer work, data analysis and meetings."

"Secondary education (GCSE/O-Levels) A-levels: Maths (A), Biology (A), Chemistry (A), Music (B) Post secondary education (College, A-levels, NVQ3 or equivalent) Undergraduate degree (BSc, BA, etc.) Bsc. Biochemistry with study in Industry 2(i) Doctorate (PhD) Ph.D Neuroscience "